2,441 stories by "Michael Billington"
The old, three-tiered auditorium reflected the class structures of its age; the new one will, one trusts, be a more democratic space
Open Air theatre, Regent's Park, LondonTimothy Sheader and Liam Steel's clever new production, set in a military hospital, soars with ingenuity but doesn't reach the magic height of JM Barri…
With its mix of sensuality and intelligence, her portrayal of Hester Collyer at London's Almeida in 1993 towers above all othersWhy is Penelope Wilton not more acclaimed? She did, admittedly…
Nuffield, Southampton Far from simply retreading familiar ground, this brilliantly designed adaptation highlights the Coens' debt to 1920s American theatre Continue reading...
Royal Shakespeare theatre, Stratford-upon-AvonNothing much adds up in Polly Findlay's production, which fails to anchor Shakespeare's play in a specific location Continue reading...
St James theatre, LondonAn excellent lead performance by Stephen Wight cannot save this woozy, over-reverential reimagining of a creative iconoclast Related: Alexander McQueen's Savage Beaut…
Druid theatre, GalwayGarry Hynes's long-haul, gender-blind production of Richard II, Henry IV parts one and two and Henry V offers a staggering study of the instability of power Continue rea…
King's Head, LondonThe romantic optimism of 60s pop suffuses Richard Cameron's painfully honest record of fractured lives in a ravaged village Continue reading...
Sporting floppy hair and a cravat, Redgrave captured the key fact about many Chekhov characters: that it is possible to be comic outside and tragic insideLaurence Olivier wasn't exactly famo…
In a BBC World Service broadcast in 1979, Dennis Potter " who would have turned 80 this weekend " talked to Michael Billington about the relationship between good and evil in his play Brimst…
The Old Vic, LondonMaria Friedman directs with style, and Kate Fleetwood is among the lively cast, but Cole Porter's musical mish-mash has a patronising attitudeI can't imagine this Cole Por…
After 10 years, Spacey is stepping down from the London theatre he called home. There have been some resounding flops but he delivered the goods " and was a delight to watch on stageWhen it …
Menier Chocolate Factory, LondonIt's Back to the Future, with sex and violence. Wronged women get the upper hand on destiny in a hotel suite that hides a tycoon's lethal secret"Let's do the …
London PalladiumOffering endless exhortations to follow your heart, swirling movement and a chorus of blokes in skimpy shorts, this lavish spectacle is in search of a story Continue reading.…
Atkins's turn as Mrs Rooney in the 2012 revival of Samuel Beckett's play showed off all her skills, subtlely and emotional directnessI was recently sent a DVD of the BBC's 1960s Shakespeare …
Hampstead theatre, LondonTheatre's quaint rituals are satirised in this set of 23 short scenes that prove the playwright is an acute observer of absurdities Continue reading...
Donmar Warehouse, LondonJudi Dench, a wonderfully twitchy Mark Gatiss, Catherine Tate and other famous faces make appearances at the polling station in Graham's entertaining ballet-box drama…
Apollo theatre, LondonPeter Morgan's play about the monarch and her prime ministers is essentially a series of sketches " and has less to say than King Charles IIIWith Helen Mirren enthroned…
Print Room at the Coronet, LondonThis play for voices offers a compassionate portrait of mothers, wives and daughters in the capital city Continue reading...
Brighton Dome Corn ExchangeRichard Nelson's extraordinary quartet of plays precisely charts the shifting moods within one family " and the national psyche Continue reading...
In Alan Ayckbourn's 1987 National Theatre revival, Gambon demonstrated his massive physical presence, and Brando-like gift for suggesting the sensitivity withinMichael Gambon has talked open…
Dominic Dromgoole's successor is known for her inventive and irreverent Kneehigh shows " her key challenge is maintaining the audience balance of active engagement and silent appreciationEmm…
Shakespeare's Globe, LondonIn Pryce's deeply considered performance, which dominates Jonathan Mumby's moving production, the moneylender is both tyrant and victim. Jonathan Pryce, making his…
Chichester Festival theatreAlan Ayckbourn's 1981 cabin-cruiser play remains a problematic moral allegory, but this is a well-acted, technically brilliant revivalThere is an obvious reason wh…
Olivier theatre, LondonDirector Rufus Norris gets off to a striking start at the National with Carol Ann Duffy's stunning update of the medieval morality playIt may, at first, seem strange t…
